French singer Bruel held in police custody on sexual assault allegations
French singer and actor Patrick Bruel, facing sexual assault allegations from multiple women, was taken into police custody on Monday, as two new rape complaints were filed against him.
Bruel will be kept in custody for another 24 hours, said the prosecutor's office in the western Paris suburb of Nanterre said in a statement.
He has been questioned since Monday morning at the Paris police headquarters' judicial police headquarters regarding "allegations that concern 13 victims at this stage", the prosecutor's office stated on Monday, which is handling all proceedings against the singer.
Bruel's custody will end Wednesday morning.
Read more Fallen idol: French singer Patrick Bruel accused of rape, sexual assault
The 67-year-old is a major figure in French pop culture with multiple top-selling albums and more than 40 film appearances.
Three women accused Bruel of sexual assault and attempted rape in 1997, 2000 and 2001, prosecutors said, while sexual assaults, harassment and rapes reported by other victims are also being investigated.
He faces two new rape complaints, filed on May 27 and June 3 by two women, their lawyer told AFP on Monday.
According to the Mediapart news website, the complainants are Florima Treiber, a former beauty queen who accuses Bruel of raping her in April 2008, and a physiotherapist named Séverine, who also reports a rape committed in May 2000.
Police can hold Bruel for questioning for up to 48 hours. He denies all the allegations and his lawyers said in a statement that he would "answer all the investigators' questions and will provide all the elements necessary to demonstrate his innocence".
He has been forced to cancel most of his upcoming tour which was due to start in Paris this month.
Bruel is the latest in a string of French movie and music celebrities to face sexual assault claims. Film legend Gérard Depardieu was sentenced to 18 months in prison last year. His appeal will be heard in November.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)